Look After You
by Cody'sxFavoritexGirl
Summary: CM Punk did not expect to be woken up at 3:00 in the morning by a beaten and bruised AJ, but after he agrees to protect her, he finds himself falling for her. But how can he look after her with her abusive ex-boyfriend Daniel Bryan plotting to take her back? CM Punk/AJ Lee Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I own nothing, so don't sue. So here's another CM Punk/AJ Lee fic for you guys. The ones that I write seem to be really popular, so I figured I'd make another one. This is going to be a multi-chapter fic. This is Chapter 1, and I'll post the next chapter after I get 5 reviews. So if you want me to continue, then please review. Enjoy.**

**Look After You**

A loud knock on CM Punk's hotel room door woke him up. Punk blinked into the darkness and rolled over to look at the alarm clock by the side of the bed. The dim red numbers told him that it was 3:15 am. "Who the fuck knocks on someone's door at three in the morning?" Punk muttered as he got up. He paused before opening the door as he was only wearing a pair of thin cotton pajama pants, but then he decided that he was too tired to care about what he was wearing. Stifling a yawn, he pulled the door open. "I was sleep–"

Punk stopped dead. In front of him stood a teary-eyed and disheveled AJ Lee, Daniel Bryan's girlfriend and WWE Diva. _What is she doing here? _He wondered.

"Punk." AJ whimpered, sounding on the verge of hysteria. "I'm sorry if I woke you, but I didn't know where else to go..."

"Um." Punk didn't know what to say. He was suddenly very aware of his bare chest. "AJ, what are you doing here?"

"I-if you don't want me here I can leave." AJ stammered, turning as if to go. As she shifted the lights overhead shone down on her tan skin, and Punk noticed a small mottled bruise on the side of her neck. Punk frowned. It sort of had the shape of fingers.

"What's that on your neck?" Punk asked, stepping out into the hallway.

"Nothing." AJ said, avoiding his eyes. She flipped her wavy brown hair over her shoulder, hiding the bruise from view.

"Bullshit." Punk moved closer to her, trying to ignore how good she smelled. Reaching out a hand, he gently moved aside her hair, noting the way she flinched when his hand toward her. Punk gritted his teeth when he saw the bruise. It looked much worse up close, an ugly shade of yellowish-purple. And there were definite finger marks.

Punk lightly brushed his index finger over it. He could feel AJ trembling under his touch. Something was definitely going on.

"AJ," Punk said quietly, keeping his voice low so as not to frighten her. "What's going on?"

AJ turned her head away, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor. Punk placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up until her eyes met his. He saw unshed tears shimmering on her thick eyelashes. "AJ," he murmured. "Tell me."

"I-it was D-Daniel." AJ finally admitted, her voice shaking with barely-controlled sobs. "H-he was mad that he lost his W-WrestleMania match. S-so he...he..."

"Did he choke you?" Punk demanded, his voice sharp with anger. AJ shrank away from him, a soft cry escaping from her throat. "No–no, don't be afraid." Punk said quickly, lowering his voice. "I won't hurt you AJ, I swear. I would never do that. It's not you I'm angry at, it's him. Just tell me what he did to you."

AJ heard the truth in his words and stopped trying to get away from him, but she still couldn't tell him. "I can't," she whispered, her brown doe eyes wide with fear. "He'll hurt me some more..."

"No he won't." Punk said firmly. "I won't let him." He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder and then stopped, afraid that he would spook her. AJ stared at him for a brief moment, studying him. Then she moved a little closer to him.

"Okay," she murmured. "I trust you, Punk." AJ took a deep, shaky breath. "After Daniel lost his title to Sheamus, we got back here and he, um, he started yelling at me. He told me that it was my fault that he lost his title because I kissed him before the match started. He said that I was a distraction. So I started arguing with him and that's when he...when he..."

AJ broke off, her throat closing up with tears. Punk pulled her into him and she crumpled against his chest. "Shh," he murmured, rocking her back and forth and stroking her hair, trying to comfort her. "It's okay. You're safe now."

"I'm so scared Punk." AJ whispered into his chest, her voice thick with sobs. "He'll be in such a rage when I get back..."

"What?" Punk exclaimed. He took AJ's tear-streaked face in his hands and looked into her red-rimmed eyes. "You're not going back there."

"But if I don't he'll come find me." AJ whimpered, her entire body shaking with terror.

"You can stay with me." Punk decided. "He won't be able to get to you here. I won't let him come near you."

AJ gazed up at him, uncertainty clear in her brown gaze. "I don't know..."

"AJ." Punk brushed his thumb across her cheek without even realizing it. "Please stay here, where I can protect you. Don't go back, 'cause if you do than I'm gonna have to go after you, and it won't be a pretty sight if I find him there too."

For the first time in a long time AJ felt a surge of hope. Punk had actually listened to her, he hadn't dismissed her story or turned her away. Instead he was offering to protect her from her abusive boyfriend. A warm wave of affection for Punk washed over her. That was a new emotion too. All she felt for Daniel was fear. "Okay," she whispered, giving in. "I'll stay."

Punk nodded. He untangled himself from her and turned to go into his room. Before he made it through the doorway he felt a small hand slip into his. Punk looked his shoulder at AJ and flashed her a reassuring smile. "It's okay," he repeated. Then he led her into his room.

AJ stood hesitantly in the middle of the room while Punk shut the door. It was dark, but she felt relaxed and calm for the first time since she started dating Daniel. Punk made her feel safe and wanted, and deep down she knew that he would never in a million years hurt her like Daniel did.

"Hang on a sec." Punk said from somewhere to her left. It was too dark to see him, but a couple of minutes later one of the bedside lamps switched on, illuminating the room. Punk straightened up, the muscles in his bare back flexing. "Uh," he said, surveying the messy room. "Sorry about the mess. I wasn't really expecting company at three in the morning."

"Oh, I'm sorry." AJ apologized.

"No, no, I'm actually kind of flattered that you chose me to dump all of your emotional issues on." Punk joked, crossing to his suitcase and rummaging around, searching for a clean T-shirt.

"Oh, don't do that." AJ blurted without thinking. Punk lifted his head and raised one eyebrow at her.

"What, you like me better with my shirt off?" he asked.

AJ blushed fiercely. "I–no–that's not what I–" she stammered. She finally gave up trying to explain herself and was silent.

"That's okay. You and half the female population of the world." Punk chuckled. He stood up and glanced at her. AJ was still wearing the wrestling gear she'd worn earlier that night. The faint glow of the lamp light lit up one side of her face and cast the other side into shadow, making her look sadder. Punk frowned.

"What is it?" AJ asked, noticing this.

"You shouldn't be sad." Punk murmured. "Life's too short to be sad."

AJ was suddenly struck by the truth of his words, and a hard lump entered her throat.

"Hey, don't do that." Punk said, noticing the wetness of her eyes. "Come on, don't cry." He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms again. "I hate it when you cry," he murmured, rubbing soothing circles across her back.

AJ closed her eyes and melted into the warmth of Punk's embrace. She hadn't been held like that in so long that it almost felt surreal.

After AJ had calmed down, Punk released her, looking slightly embarrassed. "Um, do you need something to sleep in?"

AJ rubbed her hand absently against the sleek fabric of her wrestling shorts. "Yeah, if you have something."

Punk grinned, and to AJ it was as if the clouds had parted and sunlight was pouring through, warming her from head to toe. "Oh, I'm sure I can find something," he said mischievously. He went back to his suitcase and tossed a few things out until he found what he was looking for. He dug it out and handed it to her. "Here you go."

AJ unfolded the shirt and held it up. "Oh," she exclaimed when she saw the CM Punk logo stamped on the front of the gray shirt. Around the logo were the words, "In Punk We Trust".

"Get it?" Punk asked, his grin widening. "You said you trust me, remember?"

Suddenly, AJ smiled. Punk blinked, wondering he'd imagined it. He hadn't seen AJ smile since she got together with that jackass. Her smile was worth a million dollars to him.

"I remember," AJ whispered, "and I meant it." She hugged the shirt to her chest and turned in a slow circle. "Um..."

Punk caught on to what she was looking for, and he pointed down a side hall. "Bathroom's first door on the left," he told her. "Oh and here..." He handed her a clean pair of his sweatpants.

"Thanks," she said. She padded away down the hall and Punk heard the door shut and lock.

Punk let out the breath he'd been holding ever since he had let AJ into his room. Quickly he darted around, picking things up and either hiding them under the bed or in his suitcase. In the process he bumped a light sitting on the nightstand. The lamp tumbled off, but Punk's hand shot out lightning-quick and caught it before it hit the floor. He set it back on the nightstand and stood next to it, looking over the rest of the room. It was still dirty, but not as bad as before. Satisfied, Punk sat down on the bed to wait.

About five minutes later the bathroom door opened, and AJ emerged. Punk's breath caught in his throat when he saw her. His sweatpants were way too big, but she had rolled the pant legs up and made them into capris. His shirt swamped her, but she tied the hem back with a rubber band. All in all, he thought she looked stunning.

"How do I look?" AJ asked, twirling around playfully.

"Beautiful." Punk breathed. A deep blush colored AJ's cheeks.

"No one's ever told me that before." she said softly, tucking a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her ear.

"What?" Punk blinked in surprise. AJ was the prettiest woman he'd ever met. "Why not?"

AJ shrugged. "Well...Daniel's never told me..."

Punk scowled at the mention of AJ's abusive boyfriend. "Yeah, well, he's not the brightest tool in the shed either," he growled. Then the dark look lifted from his face and he smiled sweetly at AJ. "Are you hungry?"

AJ nodded.

Punk stood up and offered his hand to her. "Shall we?"

AJ looked up into his eyes and saw nothing but warmth and kindness there. With a small smile she took his hand. "Sure."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Big thanks to all of you guys that reviewed the first chapter. I actually got more than five, so as promised, here is Chapter 2. Five more reviews and then Chapter 3 gets posted. Thank you and enjoy.**

**Look After You, Chapter 2**

AJ and Punk were on Punk's bed. Punk was sitting cross-legged eating a bowl of macaroni and cheese that he'd made in the microwave while AJ sat across from him, picking at the salad she'd whipped together.

"I told you to have mac and cheese instead." Punk chided, the beginnings of a grin forming on his face.

AJ smiled and shook her head. "Macaroni and cheese has never really been my favorite food." She seemed to be opening up more after spending time with him.

"What is your favorite food?" Punk asked, stuffing a forkful of macaroni in his mouth.

"Mmm...I'd have to say mint chocolate-chip ice cream." AJ admitted.

"What? Isn't mint chocolate-chip ice cream against your strict diet?" Punk gasped, feigning astonishment. "My, my, AJ, who knew you were such a rebel?"

AJ laughed and swatted him on the arm. "Oh right, and like macaroni and cheese is acceptable in _your _diet," she teased.

"Actually it is. It's my daily intake of dairy." Punk countered, shoving another bite of macaroni in his mouth and sticking his tongue out at her. "So there."

"You are such a five-year-old." AJ smirked.

"What? Me, a five-year-old? You are going to regret saying that." Punk dropped his fork in his bowl and sprang at her, catching her around the waist and tumbling them both off the bed.

AJ squealed when she hit the floor, Punk landing next to her. Before he could regain his senses she tackled him, and the two went rolling. Somehow AJ got Punk in a headlock, and he was forced to tap out.

"Uncle, uncle!" Punk yelled, slapping the floor. "I'm tapping, I'm tapping!"

AJ released him, and Punk made a big show of holding his throat and coughing. "Oh come on," AJ giggled, rolling her eyes. "I didn't even have it fully locked."

"I'll show _you _fully locked!" Punk lunged at her again and pinned her to the floor by her wrists, his body holding her down. AJ wriggled underneath him, her eyes shining.

"Resistance is futile." Punk told her, his face inches from hers.

"Oh?" AJ said, a smile curving her lips.

"Yes. Very...very futile..." Punk trailed off as he stared into her large brown eyes, and AJ was similarly lost in his green ones. They stayed like that for a few minutes, all tangled up on the floor, until Punk suddenly blinked and shook his head.

"Right, well we should probably get to bed. We have to leave early for our flight tomorrow," he said, rolling off of AJ and standing up.

"Oh, okay." AJ said, sitting up and pushing her wild hair out of her eyes. She was a little disappointed that they had to go to sleep. She had been having so much fun with Punk that she didn't want to stop. And that moment that they had just shared... She shivered. It had been amazing.

"You can have my bed." Punk decided, giving her a hand up. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"Oh no, I don't want to kick you out of your bed. I'll sleep on the couch." AJ said, turning around and heading over to the ugly hotel couch.

Punk caught her hand and spun her around. "No, I insist. You've had a hard day. You deserve the bed."

"But–"

"AJ." Punk squeezed her hand and led her over to the bed. "Please just let me do this for you."

AJ gazed into his eyes for a heartbeat, and then she nodded. "Okay. And thank you again."

Punk cupped her chin in his hand and smiled tenderly at her. "You don't have to thank me. I enjoy spending time with you. Now get some sleep. I'll make sure to wake you at the right time."

"Okay."

Punk gave her hand another quick squeeze before dropping it and walking over to the opposite side of the bed. He picked up a spare pillow and found an extra blanket in a closet, and then he walked over to the couch and flopped down. As soon as he was settled, AJ got into bed and shifted around until she found a comfortable position. Content with how she was lying, she reached over and shut the lamp off, plunging the room into darkness.

With Punk's soft breathing filling the small room, AJ snuggled down under the covers and closed her eyes. With a smile she realized that she could still smell lingering traces of Punk's scent on the pillow, and she inhaled deeply, comforted by the familiar and welcome scent. Her mind drifting off, AJ slowed her breathing and fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to all of you who reviewed! I got at least five, so here is Chapter 3. Five more reviews and then I'll post Chapter 4. Thank you again and enjoy.**

**Look After You, Chapter 3**

Rough hands encircled AJ's throat, and she spluttered and coughed, clawing futilely at the fingers that were squeezing the life out of her. Cold blue eyes swam above her, and a furious voice snarled in her ear, "It's _your _fault that I lost my match. If it weren't for you, I would still have my title. I'm going to make sure that you can't be a jinx to anyone else ever again."

The hands tightened, and AJ tried to gasp, "please," but found that she couldn't. She had no air left to talk with. Punk's face floated in front of her eyes, and she felt a deep ache in her heart. She was going to die without telling him how she truly felt. That was her deepest regret.

As her vision went black and her hands fell away, AJ heard Daniel's harsh laugh in her ears.

"AJ? AJ!"

Hands shook her shoulders, bringing her back to the present. Her eyes flew open and suddenly she realized that she could breathe again. Drawing deep lungfuls of air into her chest, AJ sat bolt upright and shoved the person who was shaking her away from her, screaming, "No! Get away from me! I don't want to die!"

The person fell away from her, shock filling his green eyes. AJ clutched her chest and blinked a couple of times, trying to clear her head and fully wake up. _Green..._ Daniel's eyes weren't green, they were blue. AJ squinted through the darkness, and that's when she remembered where she was and who she was with.

"Punk, I..." AJ meant to apologize, but instead her throat closed up and tears started pouring down her cheeks.

"AJ?!" Punk yelped. He reached out to her and then paused, his head cocked to one side. The set of his face told her that he was asking for permission to touch her, and she nodded.

Punk crawled across the bed toward her and pulled her into his arms. AJ rested her head on his chest and sobbed, her tears wetting his skin. Punk sat back against the headboard and stroked her hair, his heart pounding rapidly. He had woken to her screaming and crying in her sleep, so he had shaken her to wake her up. He hadn't expected such a terrified reaction from her. He ground his teeth together as he recalled some of the things she'd said when she'd woken up. She had cried something about not wanting to die, and Punk had a suspicion about what she'd been dreaming about.

AJ looked up at him suddenly, tears shimmering in her dark brown eyes. "Punk? I'm sorry about pushing you like that. I forgot that it was you."

"Shh." Punk pushed her head gently back down to his shoulder and began to rock her like a small child. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

AJ was silent for a moment, and then she whispered, "I was having a nightmare."

Punk nodded. "Did it by any chance have to do with Daniel Bryan and what happened earlier?"

AJ peeked up at him. "How did you know?"

"When you woke up you screamed something about not wanting to die."

AJ buried her face in his chest and trembled. "He was choking me to death," she whimpered. "I was trying to stop him but he was too strong. And all that I could think about was how I never told you–"

AJ stopped abruptly, and Punk, though he was curious, didn't push the subject. Instead he said, "You should get some more sleep. We have to leave in two hours."

AJ began to shake, and she whispered, "But what if I have another nightmare?"

"Don't worry, I'll stay here with you." Punk promised. He shifted until he was lying on his back with her curled into his side. "Go to sleep; I'll look after you."

Feeling more at ease, AJ rested her head on Punk's chest and closed her eyes. He pressed a gentle kiss to her sweaty forehead and stroked her hair comfortingly, his mind burning with love for AJ and hatred and fury for Daniel Bryan. He contented himself with murderous plans of revenge for Bryan as AJ slept beside him, her dreams undisturbed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Whoa, I just saw that I have a ton of reviews on this little fic of mine. Thanks to all of you who reviewed, and here's your reward: Chapter 4. Five more and then Chapter 5 will be posted. Thank you and enjoy.**

**Look After You, Chapter 4**

AJ clutched Punk's hand as they made their way through the busy airport, her heart pounding so hard that she thought it would burst out of her chest. At six o'clock in the morning the terminal was filled with business people rushing to various flights and tourists just arriving, many looking exhausted from their long flights and towing screaming kids behind them. AJ narrowly avoided being trampled by a flood of mothers rushing their children to the bathrooms, and Punk tugged her closer to him, glancing over his shoulder irritably at the crowd.

"They're like a bunch of elephants running to the watering hole," he muttered to her. She giggled.

As they neared their gate, however, she got more and more nervous. Daniel was on the same flight as they were, and she knew that he'd be furious that she didn't return to their hotel room last night. He'd be even more mad if he saw her holding hands with Punk.

As if he had read her mind, Punk gave AJ's hand a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "I'll protect you. He won't get within five feet of you."

AJ smiled shakily up at him. Oh, how she wished she could believe him. But she knew for a fact that Daniel wouldn't stop until he had her back in his clutches.

Once on the plane they showed the flight attendant their tickets, and she lead them to their seats. Punk had specifically requested that their seats be right next to each other, just in case Daniel decided to try anything on the plane. Punk stowed their luggage in the overhead compartment and sat down next to her. AJ's seat was in the middle and Punk's was on her left, right next to the aisle. Still frightened, AJ slipped her hand into Punk's and tightened her grip. Punk gave her a reassuring smile.

They were two of the first passengers on the plane to Columbus, Ohio, and as they waited more and more WWE Superstars piled on. Evan Bourne, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes sat in the seats in front of them while John Cena, Randy Orton and Christian sat behind them. AJ felt a little better once she saw who was sitting around her. All of those men were friends of hers and would protect her from any danger in a heartbeat.

Kofi Kingston got on and headed over to them. He checked his ticket and grinned when he spotted Punk and AJ. "Hey guys," he greeted them. "Looks like I get to sit next to both of you for the flight."

AJ smiled happily as she and Punk moved their legs out of the way so Kofi could get to his seat by the window. Kofi was hilarious and kept her entertained whenever they had long flights. Plus she knew he thought of her as a little sister and would leap to her defense just like the others.

Just as AJ was relaxing and thinking that maybe Daniel wouldn't be on this flight, he appeared in the doorway. AJ's throat closed up as he scanned the plane. Suddenly his eyes fell on her, and she felt her chest constrict when she saw the cold fury in their blue depths.

Just when she thought that she was going to have a panic attack and faint, an arm slipped around her shoulders and Punk leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Breathe. He can't touch you. We won't let him."

AJ forced herself to take deep breaths, and she somehow managed to calm her erratic heart. She smiled weakly at Punk and leaned into him, suddenly exhausted. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor as Daniel passed them, heading for his seat in the back. Even though she wasn't looking at Daniel, she could see Punk out of the corner of her eye, and she didn't miss the look of pure hatred that he shot at Daniel. Daniel returned the look with equal venom, and then he was past them.

AJ relaxed a little bit. She had thought for sure that Daniel would try and harm her on the plane, but he hadn't.

Cody suddenly turned around in his seat and peered back at them, his ice-blue eyes dark. "What the hell was that look of Bryan's about?" he asked, looking back and forth from AJ to Punk.

Ted and Evan twisted around too, both looking as curious as Cody. Kofi leaned over to hear, and Randy's head suddenly poked through AJ and Punk's headrests. John and Christian soon followed, and everyone listened with growing disgust as Punk related last night's events to them in a low undertone.

When Punk had finished, all of the guys were in an outrage over Daniel Bryan's treatment of AJ.

"Where is the little bastard?" John demanded, craning his neck and looking around the plane. "I'm gonna bash his bearded head in."

"I have some weights in my bag. We can use those." Ted suggested.

"No way, weights are too light. I say we have Mark Henry sit on him." Cody said darkly.

Evan leaned over his seat and moved aside AJ's hair. His eyebrows drew together with anger when he saw the bruise. "Are you all right?" he asked her. AJ nodded, surprised by how protective her male friends were of her.

Christian looked around, his face full of confusion. "Hold on a sec, guys. Where'd Randy go?"

Everyone fell silent and turned to look. Randy's seat, which had been occupied only a few minutes ago, was now empty.

"I think I have an idea," John said.

At the moment he spoke those words a strangled shriek rang through the cabin. The nine of them scrambled out of their seats and ran to the back of the plane.

Randy had Daniel Bryan up against the wall of the plane by his throat, his face twisted into a snarl. Daniel's eyes were full of hatred and anger, and it intensified when he spotted AJ standing behind Punk.

"So, I hear you get your kicks out of beating up defenseless women." Randy snarled into Bryan's face, his icy blue eyes flashing with rage. "What's the matter, you couldn't beat a guy your own size so you decided to try AJ instead?"

"It's none of your business, Orton," Daniel hissed, clawing at Randy's fingers around his throat.

Randy laughed harshly. "Oh, it's none of my business. That's a good one." He drew Bryan back and slammed him into the wall hard enough to shake the cabin. Leaning in, Randy spat, "You made it my business when you hurt AJ. See, unlike you, I happen to like her. So this is your one warning, and be glad that you're getting one at all. I would much rather rip you apart limb by limb, but I don't want to get the plane all bloody. So listen closely. If you ever lay one hand on AJ again, I swear to all that is holy I will hunt you down and kill you. And it won't be a quick death either. It will be as slow and painful as humanly possible. And I will have help, as you can see behind me. So don't even think about trying to escape, because you won't. Have I made myself clear?"

Daniel glared at Randy and said nothing.

Randy slammed him into the wall again. "I said, have I made myself clear?"

"Yes." Daniel ground out.

"Good. Now get out of my sight." Randy smashed him into the wall one more time for good measure and then dropped him. Daniel slid to the floor, gulping in air and rubbing his sore throat.

Punk tapped Cody on the shoulder and motioned to AJ, telling him to look after her. Cody nodded and put his arm protectively around AJ's shoulders. Punk made his way over to Daniel, and he stared down at him in disgust as he stood above him.

"It doesn't feel too good on the receiving end, does it?" he asked.

Daniel didn't reply; he just glared heatedly up at him.

Punk crouched down in front of him, his eyes burning with hatred. "Everything that Randy just said goes for me too, and then some." he said quietly. "Believe me, Bryan, I will never forget what you did to AJ. And neither will they. We'll be watching you."

With that, Punk stood and walked back to AJ. Cody moved aside as Punk took her hand and led her back down the aisle to their seats. Everyone else followed, except for Daniel Bryan, who watched them go with fury and hatred burning in his heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks so much to all of you who read and review this story! I just saw that it has over 50 reviews and that is amazing. So, because of a review I got that pointed this out to me (thanks for the advice, WrasslinMarauderShields) and also to thank you guys, from now on I will not be asking for 5 more reviews before I post the next chapter. They should be flying up from now on, so stay tuned! Thank you once again and please remember to review. Your opinion is welcome. Enjoy.**

**Look After You, Chapter 5**

"Listen, you'll be safer here," CM Punk told AJ. They had just arrived at the RAW Supershow in Columbus, and Punk was getting ready for his match against John Cena. John had already popped his head into Punk's locker room to check up on AJ and wish Punk good luck, and after he had left Punk had informed her that, for her own safety, she would be staying in his locker room until after their match. And AJ was not happy about it.

"But why should I have to hide? I've done nothing wrong," AJ argued stubbornly. She crossed her slim arms over her chest and glared at Punk from where she sat on the couch.

"Because I'm afraid that Bryan might try something," Punk replied. He finished winding tape around his left wrist and held out his hand to her. "Can you hand me that Sharpie, please?"

She scowled but handed him the red Sharpie anyways. "This is so not fair," she grumbled.

"Life isn't fair, sweetheart," Punk answered as he drew his signature Xs on the backs of his hands. He smiled at the venomous look she shot him and crossed the room to stand in front of her. "It's only until after my match," he soothed, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "And besides, you're not going to be alone. I called in some friends to hang with you until I'm done."

"You mean you called in some bodyguards," AJ muttered, but she was starting to calm down. Maybe hanging out in Punk's locker room wouldn't be so bad after all. And as long as she was far away from Daniel, she was happy.

A sudden knock on the door made her jump, and Punk stroked her hair comfortingly, knowing how frightened she was that Daniel Bryan would show up. She relaxed, and he walked over to the door and pulled it open enough to stick his head out and see who it was. He opened the door wider after a second and turned to grin at AJ. "AJ, meet your new best friends for the next half hour," he joked.

AJ's face lit up as Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes walked in. "Cody, Teddy!" she cried, jumping up and slamming into them, wrapping her arms around both of them at the same time. Cody and Ted both chuckled and hugged her back.

"Yeah, yeah, we're happy to see you too, Pipsqueak," Cody laughed, looking slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't really a touchy-feely type of guy. That was more Ted's style.

Speaking of Ted, he was currently hugging AJ so hard that she had been lifted off her feet and was dangling in the air. "Ted, for God's sake, put her down! She's only 95 pounds, you're gonna crush her," Cody scolded him.

"Whoops," Ted said, setting AJ down. "Sorry AJ, my bad."

"No, don't be sorry," AJ told him, smoothing down her wild hair and flashing him a bright smile. "It's been so long since I've been hugged like that. Thank you, Teddy."

"Well, I've gotta go. It's almost time for my match." Punk pulled AJ into a quick hug. "Don't give them too hard of a time," he whispered into her ear. She just smiled and shoved him gently away. "Go on, or you're gonna be late," she said.

Punk nodded to Ted and Cody. "Keep an eye on her," he told them while AJ rolled her eyes behind him.

Ted saluted him. "Don't worry, man, we'll take good care of her."

"Good." Punk pulled the locker room door open, gave everyone a final wave, and then left, pulling the door shut behind him.

The three people left in the room stood around looking awkwardly at one another, each unsure of what to do.

"So..." Ted said, breaking the silence. "What do you guys want to do?"

Cody shrugged. "I dunno, you were the one who dragged me here." He glanced quickly at AJ. "Not that I didn't want to come."

AJ decided to ignore Cody's comment and instead sprang up onto the balls of her feet, her eyes shining with excitement. "Well, I heard that you guys were pretty good at playing video games, and Punk has an Xbox in here. Wanna play?"

"Sure, but just so you know, Cody's the expert gamer out of the two of us, so don't expect me to do good," Ted warned her.

"I don't mind. In fact, Cody can go up against me first. We'll see who the true expert gamer is," AJ challenged, a playful sparkle in her brown eyes as she skipped over to examine the Xbox games stacked neatly on the shelf under the TV.

"Oh, it's on, Pipsqueak," Cody said.

AJ examined the games for what felt like five minutes, trying to decide which one to play. Punk had so many that she felt like she was in a gamer's paradise. She pulled a case out and peered at it. "Hey, Cody, are you any good at Call of Duty?"

When Cody didn't answer her, she just rolled her eyes, figuring that he was still mad at her for her earlier comment. "Fine, be that way."

When there was still no answer, AJ began to get the feeling that something was wrong. This feeling intensified when she heard a scuffling sound behind her. Her heart pounding in her chest, she stood up slowly, still facing the TV and at the same time whimpering, "Ted? Cody?"

"Sorry, I'm afraid that Ted and Cody can't come to the phone right now. But leave a message and they should get back to you later," a familiar, cold voice said from right behind her. AJ felt her heart stop, and she whipped around and found herself face-to-face with her abusive ex-boyfriend, Daniel Bryan.

"No," she whispered. Her wide, terrified eyes flicked from Daniel's bearded face to the limp forms of Ted and Cody. Ted was lying on his stomach by the door, a black eye beginning to form around his right eye. Cody was sprawled a few feet away from him, blood pouring down his face from a vicious cut in his forehead. A discarded chair lay next to him, the splatter of blood on it telling her everything that she needed to know. Daniel had snuck in here, punched Ted and struck Cody in the face with the chair. If there had been any suspicious noises, then she had been too focused on the games to notice them.

Suffice to say, she was terrified.

"Aw, don't look so scared AJ," Daniel crooned, stepping towards her and seizing her roughly by her upper arm. "We're only going for a little walk. And if you even think about screaming or fighting me, then I'll make sure that your little boyfriend CM Punk pays the price."

AJ felt her blood run cold at Daniel's mention of Punk. She couldn't put him in any danger. She felt all of the fight drain out of her. She was cornered, and Daniel knew it.

"That's it," he said as her body sagged with defeat. "That's my obedient girl. Now, let's go have a little chat, shall we?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This story just hit over 60 reviews. That is insane. Thank you guys so much, and I'm happy that you all enjoy this story. :) So here is Chapter 6. Keep on reviewing, and I hope you all continue to love this story.** **Zack Ryder was added per request of XxRamyfanxX. Enjoy.**

**Look After You, Chapter 6**

Zack Ryder strolled nonchalantly down the hallway leading to the Superstars' locker rooms. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans and he was humming his theme song quietly. He didn't have a match tonight, so he'd decided to amuse himself by wandering around the arena and seeing what trouble he could get into.

Zack slowed as he approached CM Punk's locker room, his brow furrowing in confusion. Punk's door was wide open. He frowned. It wasn't like Punk to leave his locker room door open. He was a very private guy and he usually kept his door firmly shut, ordering his friends to knock before coming in. Zack began to feel uneasy as he crept towards the open door. A hard weight settled in his stomach and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. He reached the doorway and poked his head in. "Hey, Pu–"

He stopped talking and froze when he saw what was in the locker room.

"Holy shit!"

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"Keep walking," Daniel Bryan hissed in AJ's ear. He was striding purposefully along behind her, matching her step-for-step. He was close enough to her that no one could see the firm grip that he had on the waistband of her wrestling shorts. "You so much as look at someone wrong, and I'll call Big Show up and tell him to give Punk a little post-match surprise."

AJ stiffened at the thought of Big Show beating on Punk, and she knew that she had to do whatever it took to protect the WWE Champion. So she bowed her head and continued walking, keeping her gaze fixed firmly on the floor so she wouldn't accidentally look at anyone. Behind her, she heard Daniel laugh quietly.

As they approached a side hall, Daniel gave the back of her shorts a jerk. "Go down there," he ordered in a low voice, gesturing to the hallway.

AJ hesitated for a brief second, thinking that if she could just stall him for a few more seconds, then maybe one of her friends would walk by and see them. But no one came, and Daniel jerked her shorts harder this time. "Do it, or Punk's face will meet Big Show's fist."

Her heart plummeting, AJ turned and started down the empty hallway with Daniel right behind her. She was beginning to panic; there was no one down this way. There was no one to hear her scream.

As if reading her mind, Daniel chuckled coldly and said, "Who's gonna save you now?"

A chill ran up her spine as he opened the door to a supply closet and shoved her in. He stepped in after her and pulled the door shut.

Darkness enveloped her, and AJ felt the last bit of hope left in her body drain away.

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The first person to come running up to CM Punk after his match was Zack Ryder. Punk raised his eyebrows in mild surprise; Zack was John Cena's–what was that word they used again?–broski or whatever, so he had expected Zack to congratulate John first. But as soon as Punk caught the panicked look in the Long Island native's eyes, he knew that Zack wasn't there to congratulate him.

"Punk," Zack gasped, skidding to a halt in front of the Straight-Edge Superstar. "I...I don't know how to tell you this, bro..."

A knot of apprehension appeared in Punk's stomach, and he suddenly had a very, very bad feeling. "What is it, Zack? Spit it out."

Zack looked up at him, his face twisted into a grimace. "It's AJ," he said quietly. "She's gone."

The world spun. Punk felt lightheaded and Zack's grim face swam in front of him. He put out a hand to steady himself and ended up leaning against the sturdy shoulder of John Cena, who had appeared just in time to stop Punk from falling.

"What did you just say?" Punk rasped, unable to process what he'd just been told.

"She's gone. I was walking by your locker room and the door was open, so I poked my head in to check things out and I saw Ted and Cody lying passed out on the floor. I woke Ted up and asked him what happened, and he told me that Daniel Bryan had attacked him and Cody. Then he asked me where AJ was, and I realized that she was gone. Ted flipped out, kept saying that you were gonna kill him and that we had to find her..." Zack finished his explanation and looked at Punk anxiously. "Punk, what's going on?"

Punk tried to answer but couldn't. His mind was whirling with this new information. Daniel Bryan had snuck into his locker room, attacked two of his friends, and kidnapped the girl that he loved. The more that he thought about it, the more angry he got.

"Are Ted and Cody okay?" John asked Zack.

"Ted only had a black eye, so he should be fine. But I don't know about Cody; it looked like he got hit in the head with a chair. There was a lot of blood..." Zack swallowed hard before adding, "I called Randy. Here's there with them now."

John nodded. "Okay. We need to come up with a game plan and then–"

"No," Punk growled, cutting him off.

John looked down at him in bewilderment. "No?" he repeated.

Punk pushed himself up off of John's shoulder and glared down the hall, his green eyes burning with rage and determination. "Fuck your game plan, I'm gonna go find her," he snarled. He started down the hall, John and Zack jogging to keep up.

"But Punk, if we all pair up and search, then we can cover more ground. We'll find her faster that way," John objected. But there was no reasoning with Punk.

"Fine, then you two go find everyone else and organize your little search party," Punk snapped. "In the meantime, I'm going to find AJ before that bastard hurts her anymore than he already has."

John opened his mouth to protest, but Zack touched his shoulder and shook his head. Now was not the time.

"Okay Punk, you start looking and we'll get everybody else together. We'll find her in no time, bro, don't worry," Zack called after Punk. Punk just kept walking, apparently oblivious.

John grabbed Zack's arm and dragged him towards the locker rooms. "Come on, bro, let's go get a search party together."

Zack looked at John worriedly. "John, we are gonna find her, right?"

"Of course we are," John answered, his voice solemn. "It's finding her too late that I'm worried about."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Almost to 70 reviews! Seriously, thank you guys so much. None of this would've been possible without your reviews. And now, the suspense ends at last. Yep that's right, I decided to stop playing with you guys. So here it is: Chapter 7. Please keep reviewing, and enjoy. :)**

**Look After You, Chapter 7**

"Daniel, why are you doing this?" AJ whimpered. It was too dark to see her ex-boyfriend, but she heard his sharp laugh a little to her left. The sound chilled her to the bone, and all that AJ wanted in that one moment was to run out of the closet as fast as she could and throw herself into Punk's loving arms. But that couldn't happen. If she did run, then Punk would get pummeled by the Big Show. She had to protect him no matter what.

"Why? You really have to ask?" Daniel scoffed. She heard a rustling sound and braced herself for a blow, but instead the bare lightbulb swinging above their heads flicked on, casting them in a dim yellow light. The supply closet was small, which meant that they were practically chest-to-chest. AJ looked up at him, unable to fully mask the fear in her eyes.

"You and your little friends humiliated me on the plane," Daniel whispered, thrusting his face forward until it was inches away from AJ's. His blue eyes glittered with malice, and AJ flinched away. "Who do you think is going to pay the price for that, AJ?"

AJ stared at him, her throat constricting with terror. She knew that if she didn't answer him then the beating would be worse, so she croaked out a shaky, "I don't know."

Daniel could smell the fear coming off of her like a shark could smell blood in water. He smiled coldly and patted her on the head like you would a dog. "Don't worry, AJ, it's not gonna be you," he crooned, stroking her hair. AJ felt her stomach twist with revulsion at his touch, but she didn't dare pull away.

"No, not you," Daniel continued, sounding thoughtful. "Actually, I think I have the perfect person in mind."

AJ heard the sick pleasure in his voice and she suddenly knew what was coming next. She began to silently pray that he wouldn't say who she thought he was going to say.

Apparently, prayers just weren't enough.

"I think your little hero CM Punk is going to pay."

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"I haven't seen her."

"What do you mean, you haven't seen her? She's five-foot-nine, weighs only 95 pounds, and most likely had a goat-faced creep following her, and _you haven't seen her?_"

The techie put his hands up as if to ward the angry verbal assault from the Straight-Edge Superstar off. "Listen, man, I just run the lights. I don't pay attention to anybody, only my work."

Punk growled deep in his throat and stalked off, cursing the stupid techie under his breath. Who in the hell didn't notice a girl being paraded around backstage by a bearded garden gnome? Punk could just kick every single person he saw in the face at that moment for being so damn oblivious.

And speaking of kicks to the face... "Hey, Sheamus!" Punk called, jogging over to the Irish-born Superstar.

The Great White turned to face Punk, a huge grin crossing his face. "Aye, Punk, what can I do for ya?"

"Have you seen AJ anywhere?" Punk asked, a note of desperation entering his tone. "Possibly with Daniel Bryan?"

Sheamus blinked a couple of times. "Aye, actually, I did see her go by with the little midget. I thought that it was kinda strange that she was with him, but she seemed okay so I didn't think anything of it." He noticed the pale look on Punk's face and said, "I should've stopped them, right?"

Punk looked up at him, his green eyes hard. "Daniel Bryan kidnapped her," he told the World Heavyweight Champion. "I have to find her, and fast."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"No, Daniel, please," AJ pleaded. "Please don't hurt Punk. I'll...I'll take the beating for him. Just please, don't hurt him."

Daniel raised one eyebrow as he stared down at the petite brunette. He had to admit, he was a little surprised at AJ's willingness to take the beating for Punk. And he was a little jealous.

He shrugged. "Fine, if you want to take it for him, then be my guest."

A vicious slap landed on AJ's cheek without warning, and she fell backwards with a cry. Daniel began to punch and kick every inch of her that he could reach, and the only thing that AJ could do was attempt to protect her head and neck from his vicious blows. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought about Punk. She was doing this to protect him, and the thought gave her strength.

As long as he was safe, it didn't matter what happened to her.

Daniel finally seemed to decide that she had had enough, and he stopped hitting her and backed away, leaving her lying on the floor in the fetal position. "Maybe next time you'll think twice about telling anybody about our little 'chats'," he said harshly. He yanked the door to the closet open, flicked off the light, and strode out into the hall, leaving her broken and bleeding on the floor.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Yeah, I saw AJ. She went down that hallway over there with Daniel Bryan. I thought it was kind of strange, but I was late for my match so I didn't think much about it," Jack Swagger said, pointing over Punk and Sheamus' heads to a side hallway behind them. He looked at the two Superstars with faint concern in his eyes. "Is she okay?"

Punk didn't answer–he was already sprinting towards the hallway. Sheamus hung around long enough to tell Jack, "We hope so," before taking off after him.

Punk raced down the hallway, yelling, "AJ!" at the top of his lungs. Sheamus was right behind him at first, but he suddenly slowed, noticing something odd.

"Aye, Punk, over here!" he called, walking over to a door that had caught his eye. Punk quickly backtracked until he stood next to the Celtic Warrior.

"What is it?" he asked.

Sheamus pointed at the door, which was open a crack. He turned his head to look at Punk darkly. "Ya ever remember any of the techies leaving a supply closet door open?"

Punk set his jaw. "No."

The Straight-Edge Superstar stepped forward, placed his hand on the door, and slowly pushed it open.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A faint creaking sound caused AJ to open her eyes, and the first thing that she saw was a tall, familiar figure silhouetted against the hallway lights. And then the closet light switched on, and an anguished moan of "AJ," reached her ears.

The figure moved into the closet and dropped to his knees beside her. Gentle hands probed her body, searching for broken bones. AJ heard his sigh of relief when he didn't find any. She was so happy to see him again. She'd thought that she was going to lay in that closet forever, never to see any of the people she loved again.

"Punk, thank god," she rasped. "I'm so glad you're here..."

"Shh," Punk shushed her. "Don't talk. You're too weak. We're gonna get you outta here, AJ."

Punk twisted around and shouted to Sheamus, "Sheamus, call Randy!"

"I'm on it, fella."

Punk turned back to AJ, and he suddenly realized that he was crying. He moved some of AJ's hair out of her face, wincing when he saw the damage that had been done. She had a split lip, some bruising, and a black eye was already beginning to form. Punk felt rage build up inside of him until he was sure that he was going to explode from the force of it.

He was going to kill Daniel Bryan for this.

That was a promise.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Over 70 reviews. That's all that I'm gonna say. Thank you all so much and here is Chapter 8 for your reading enjoyment. Keep reviewing! :)**

**Look After You, Chapter 8**

"I'm gonna kill that little bastard," Randy Orton snarled from where he knelt beside Cody Rhodes. Cody had woken up a few minutes ago with a killer headache and a four-inch-long cut on his forehead, but otherwise he was okay. Randy was still pissed, though; nobody attacked his two friends and got away with it. As he pressed a wet washcloth to the cut in Cody's forehead, he found himself daydreaming about what he was going to do to that little weasel Daniel Bryan. He knew that punting had been banned, but perhaps Vince would make an exception just this once.

"Get in line," John Cena growled. He was pacing around the small locker room, his cell phone pressed to his ear. He scowled when he got voicemail again. "Dammit, doesn't Punk ever pick up his goddamn phone?"

"He's out looking for AJ, bro, I doubt he's paying attention to anything else," Zack Ryder pointed out from where he sat on the couch. The Long Island Iced Z had his signature headband off and was wringing it in his hands, a distant look on his face. It was obvious that he was just as worried about AJ as the rest of them. He and John had scoured every hallway they could find and had come up empty, as had Dolph Ziggler and The Miz, who had surprisingly joined in on the search.

"I know Bryan is a vegan psychopath who has an addiction to yelling random one-word answers at the top of his lungs, but I never pictured him as a kidnapper," Miz muttered from his position on the couch next to Zack.

Dolph stared at him. "Dude, do you have any idea how stupid that sounded?"

Next to Dolph, Ted groaned and put his head in his hands. "This is all my fault. If I had been paying more attention, then Bryan wouldn't have gotten in and AJ would still be here."

"It's not your fault, Teddy," Randy said, looking up at his friend. "Bryan snuck up on you like a coward. He's the one who–"

The sound of a cell phone ringing cut him off. Everyone scrambled for their phones, desperate to see who was calling and if they had any information regarding AJ.

"It's mine," Randy called. Everyone went silent as he flipped it open and lifted it to his ear. "Hello? Sheamus? What–"

Randy stopped talking and listened, his eyebrows drawing together. Then his eyes grew dark and the look on his face became murderous. "Where are you?" he demanded. He listened as Sheamus answered, and then he said, "I'm on my way."

As soon as Randy hung up, all the Superstars in the room started talking at once, their various questions melting together into one big wall of noise. "SHUT UP!" Randy yelled, and they all fell quiet once again.

"Teddy, take Cody to the trainers' room," Randy ordered Ted, who immediately scrambled up and knelt beside his injured friend. "Make sure you get that eye checked out, too," he added more softly. Ted nodded and began to help Cody sit up.

"Randy, what did Sheamus say?" John asked, concern lacing his voice.

Randy barely glanced at him as he ripped the locker room door open. "They found AJ," he said shortly.

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"...and then after he beat on me a bit, he left," AJ said. She had just finished telling Punk and Sheamus what had happened, and by the thunderous looks on both of their faces, she had a feeling that Daniel Bryan was going to get torn limb-from-limb the next time they saw him.

"I guess my little eighteen-second humiliation at WrestleMania didn't work as well as I had hoped," Sheamus grumbled. He ran a pale hand through his ginger hair and set his jaw. "I'm gonna murder that little midget the next time I see him."

"Not before I get a piece of him," Punk growled. He had found an old blanket in the supply closet and had wrapped it carefully around AJ. She was now snuggled into his side with her head resting on his chest, listening quietly as the guys plotted their revenge.

"Don't forget Orton and Cena," Sheamus added. "They'll want in on it, too."

"Oh, don't worry. We'll make sure they get their shots in," Punk spat. "Ted and Cody, too. I'm sure they want revenge for the ambushing he gave them."

While the two of them were talking, AJ heard footsteps approaching at a rapid pace. She tensed up, afraid that it was Daniel back to hurt her some more. Punk felt her stiffen, and he looked up, ready to leap to AJ's defense in case it was her exe. But he quickly relaxed when it was Randy Orton who came jogging down the hall instead of Daniel Bryan. John Cena was right on his heels, and Evan Bourne–who had tagged along after spotting them running by his locker room–appeared soon after.

"What hurts?" Randy asked as he knelt before AJ, his voice uncharacteristically tender.

"Everything," AJ said lightly, attempting to joke about her current situation. But when nobody laughed, she sighed and added, "Mostly my face and ribs, but I don't think anything is broken."

Randy nodded. "Okay, but we should still get you checked out by the trainers just in case." He started to reach for her, intending to lift her up, but AJ tightened her arms around Punk's neck, fear flashing across her gaze. Randy quickly pulled his hands back.

"It's okay," Punk murmured, half to AJ and half to Randy. "I'll take her."

He slipped one arm around her back and the other under her legs, careful not to hit any bruises. He lifted her up and backed out of the closet. He carried her down the hall and headed in the direction of the trainers' room, the rest of their little posse surrounding them protectively.

AJ rested her head against Punk's chest and closed her eyes while they walked. The rhythmic swaying motion of Punk's steps and the steady rise and fall of his chest under her cheek were soothing her to sleep, despite all the pain she was in. Before she drifted off, she mumbled, "I'm so happy you came for me, Punk."

Punk lifted her in his arms slightly and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "I'll always come for you," she heard him promise.

And then she sank into darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Over 80 reviews. Wow. Okay, so here's Chapter 9 for you guys. Thank you all for being so patient, it's been a busy week for me and this is the first chance I've gotten to work on this in awhile. Keep on letting me know what you think, and thanks again. :)**

**Look After You, Chapter 9**

When AJ awoke, the first thing that she noticed was the thick smell of antiseptic that hung in the air. It was almost enough to make her gag. She turned her head and sucked in a sharp breath as the movement tweaked her sore neck. She blinked a couple of times until she was able to focus on her surroundings. It was obvious that she was in a hospital, seeing as the room she was in had bare white walls and various equipment scattered around. There was an IV in her arm, and she hated that too. Needles were not something she was fond of.

Then she realized that she wasn't alone. There was another bed in the room a few feet away from her own, and when she looked closer she could see a very familiar head of thick black hair.

"Cody?" she rasped, her voice hoarse. Her throat felt like sandpaper, but there wasn't any water nearby so she'd just have to deal with it.

Cody opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. A pained grin stretched across his bruised face when he saw that she was awake, and AJ had to try very hard not to gasp when she saw the many stitches in his forehead.

"Hey, Pipsqueak," he greeted her, his voice just as raspy as hers. "How you feeling?"

"Better than you, I think," AJ answered, and Cody laughed.

"Nah, it's better than it looks," he said, dismissing her concern.

"So where'd everybody else go?" AJ asked, looking around the room and feeling a pang of sadness when she realized that Punk wasn't there.

As if reading her mind, Cody said, "Punk was here up until a few minutes ago. He hasn't left since they brought you in a few hours ago. Randy, John, Ted and Sheamus went with him, so I have a feeling that they went to pay a visit to a certain vegan psychopath."

AJ huffed and pounded her pillow, picturing it as Daniel Bryan's face. "I hope they get him good."

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"BRYAN!" CM Punk roared, kicking down the door to Daniel Bryan's locker room. He surged inside, followed closely by Randy, John, Ted, and Sheamus. The five of them scanned the room, and Punk felt a wave of fury and disappointment when he realized that it was empty. Daniel Bryan wasn't there.

"The little coward must've figured we'd come after him, so he ran," Randy snarled, kicking a chair hard enough to flip it over. "Woman-beating son of a–"

"Save the anger for when we find him, Randy," Ted cut him off. His blue eyes were blazing with hatred for the goat-faced asshole who had kidnapped and beaten AJ and landed his best friend in the hospital. "Besides, we need to hit him a couple of times for Cody, too. He made me promise him that we would before I left the hospital."

"Oh, don't you worry, Ted," Randy said, his voice harsh. "We'll get plenty of hits in for Cody, I can promise you that."

Sheamus was pacing around the room, running his hands through his ginger hair and muttering unintelligible curses under his breath. "Where else would the little bastard go?" he asked out loud.

Punk, who had been glaring murderously at the far wall as if Daniel stood there himself, shook himself out of his trance and looked over at the Celtic Warrior. "He has nowhere else to go other than back to his hotel room," he growled, his green eyes burning with a fire none of them had ever seen before.

"Great, so let's go," Randy spat, whipping around and heading for the door.

"Wait!" Ted called after him. Randy stopped and turned back to him with an annoyed huff. "What?" he snapped.

"Don't you think that going to his hotel room would be a little obvious?" Ted asked, looking around at the other men in the room. "I mean, he's already proven that he's crafty, so why would he go back to his hotel room when he probably knows that it's the first place we'll look?"

"Kid's gotta point," John piped up from the corner.

"Alright Ted, so where do you think he went?" Punk asked, leaning up against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

Ted took a moment to think, his eyebrows drawn together. Then his eyes brightened, and he said, "I see him hang out with Big Show a lot, and there's no way he would ever suspect that we knew they were friends."

"So you're saying that you think he's in Big Show's hotel room?" John asked.

"Yeah. And Big Show's most likely gonna be there too."

Randy sighed heavily. "It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?"


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So we're nearing the end of this little fic of mine. I don't know what chapter will be the last, I just write what my muses tell me to, but I know that it'll be soon. The end is near, my friends. Y2J help us. Well, keep on letting me know what you think, and thank you for all of the encouraging reviews I got from some of you, you know who you are. Enjoy this latest chapter. :)**

**Look After You, Chapter 10**

"So, what exactly is our plan here?" Ted asked from the backseat of Sheamus' rental car. The five of them had rushed out and hopped into his car as soon as Ted had finished telling them about his whole Big Show theory, and they were now speeding down the highway heading to the hotel that all of the WWE Superstars and Divas were staying at. Randy was driving since he was the speed demon of the group, and the other four were beginning to regret agreeing to let him behind the wheel.

"We go in, we take names, and we kick ass. There's your plan," Randy growled. He yanked the steering wheel to one side, causing the other guys to lurch sideways as the car swerved into an empty lane. There was a loud cracking noise from the backseat, and Sheamus cursed and rubbed his head where it had smacked against the window.

"Randy, fella, do ya think ya could give us a little bit of warnin' before ya go all _the Fast and the Furious _on us next time?" the Celtic Warrior complained.

Randy just snarled in reply, leaning forward over the dashboard and glaring out the windshield.

Punk twisted around in the passenger seat and looked at the three guys crammed into the backseat. "Bryan's mine, do you hear?" he asked darkly, his green eyes gleaming in the soft glow of the lights in the dashboard.

"Fine, but I need to get a few hits in too." Ted grumbled, cracking his knuckles menacingly, his blue eyes narrowing. "That son of a bitch landed two of my good friends in the hospital. He ain't getting away this time."

"Amen to that," John piped up from Ted's other side. The poor guy was squashed against one of the doors, his arm jammed between his side and the door. But John looked just as hungry for revenge as Ted did, and Punk had no doubt that John would prove to be an invaluable asset to the mission, especially if Big Show turned out to be in the room with Bryan.

They were going to need all the help they could get to take down the World's Strongest Athlete.

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The drive to the hotel from the arena usually took about a half hour, but because of Randy's suicidal driving they arrived in only ten minutes. They screeched to a halt outside of the hotel's front doors, and they all exchanged grim looks before they exited the car, each of them realizing what a daunting task lay before them.

"It's go time," John hissed, as if they were embarking on a covert operation. Which, in a way, they kinda were.

Punk was the first one out of the car, Randy close behind him. Not one to waste time, especially when he was pissed off, the Viper simply slid across the hood of the car _Dukes of Hazzard _style instead of walking around it. Sheamus kicked his door open next, and him and Ted scrambled out onto the sidewalk. John came trotting around the car from the other side, and the five of them charged the hotel's front doors at the same time.

They burst into the lobby, scaring the hell out of some people waiting to check in. Tourists scattered as they bolted through the expansive lobby to the elevators. Ted punched the up button at least fifty times, but the elevator was going extremely slow. "Fuck it," Randy snarled, storming off. "Let's take the stairs."

The other four ran after him, and they darted up the many flights of stairs until they reached the floor that Big Show was known to be staying on.

"No...no...no..." Ted mumbled, racing down the long hallway and casting fleeting glances at the room numbers. "No...no...what the hell, is he in the last fucking room or something?"

Randy charged by him, and the Viper stalked by each door, his head whipping from side-to-side as he scanned room numbers. Finally, he halted at the second-to-last door, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "Here it is," he spat. He backed up until his back was pressed against the wall opposite from the door, and Punk, sensing what was about to happen before it did, seized Ted by the collar of his shirt and yanked him out of the way just as Randy threw himself forward.

There was a loud cracking noise and the door flew open, slamming hard against the inside wall. Randy shot the other four a look that said, _well what the hell are you waiting for? _and stepped inside.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: All of your guys' comments are very much appreciated, so thank you all for reviewing. This fic is way more popular than I ever imagined it would be, with over 6,000 views, so keep passing the word along about this fic, and here is Chapter 11. Enjoy, and keep on telling me what you think. :)**

**Look After You, Chapter 11**

The second that Randy stepped through the door, a huge hand shot out of nowhere and closed around his throat. Randy let out a strangled yelp as he was lifted right off his feet by the Big Show, who had been lying in wait just beyond the doorway. The World's Largest Athlete just smiled coldly while Randy scrabbled at the fingers around his throat futilely, the Viper's eyes burning with rage.

"You shoulda knocked first," Big Show sneered. Then he threw Randy to the side as carelessly as if he were a rag doll. Randy's back struck the wall first, his head following soon after. Bright dots burst across his vision, and everything went dark as he slid down the wall to crumple on the floor.

"_Randy!" _John roared, running into the room just in time to see his best friend go limp. Then his view of Randy was blocked by the Big Show, and a large fist came out of nowhere and slammed into his face. John fell back into Punk, who had appeared in the doorway with Sheamus and Ted just behind him. Punk managed to catch the Cenation leader, and he looked up over John's head to see Big Show coming at them, a snarl on his face.

"_Move!" _Punk yelled to Ted and Sheamus, and the two of them quickly dove out of the way as Big Show ran at them. Punk backed out of the room as fast as he could, dragging a semi-conscious John with him. He somehow made it back out into the hall and he deposited John on the floor, looking around for Sheamus and Ted as he did so. He could see the pale-skinned Celtic Warrior farther down the hall, but he failed to locate Ted. "Where's Ted?" he shouted to Sheamus.

"I thought he was with you!" Sheamus yelled back. Punk's blood ran cold as he heard another vicious yell from Big Show, and he sprang over John's limp body and sprinted for the door to the hotel room, Sheamus hot on his heels.

They both shot into the room screaming various war cries at the tops of their lungs, and were just in time to see Big Show seize Ted by the throat as well. But before the giant could lift him up, Sheamus put his head down and charged at the World's Largest Athlete. The Celtic Warrior speared Big Show, knocking the giant off his feet and causing him to release Ted. Punk ran over to him as Sheamus punched Big Show repeatedly, trying to knock him out.

"What the hell were you thinking? You should've waited for us!" Punk hissed, kneeling down beside Ted, who had collapsed to the floor after Big Show let him go.

"That bastard's helping Bryan," Ted growled, rubbing the red marks left by Show's fingers on his throat. "I heard Show talking to him. He's in here somewhere."

That caught Punk's attention, and his green eyes darkened. "Stay here," he ordered Ted, who, of course, didn't listen and followed the Straight-Edge Superstar over to Sheamus.

"I think you got him, Sheamus," Punk told the Irish Superstar, who was still punching Show in the face even though the giant's eyes were closed and he had obviously passed out.

Sheamus stopped, his chest heaving and sweat glistening on his face. "I just wanted to make sure," he muttered, slowly getting to his feet. He glanced over at Randy, who was still lying in a heap by the door. "Is he okay?"

Punk turned to look at the injured Viper as well, and he felt a faint spark of concern. Blood was trickling down the back of Randy's neck and staining the collar of his T-shirt. But the rage he felt towards Daniel Bryan overrode the concern he felt for Randy, so he turned his back on the wounded man. "I don't know, but we don't have time to check right now. We have to get Bryan."

The three of them started scouring the room, whipping open closet doors and checking under the bed. Ted even opened the refrigerator door and poked his head in, then shut it when he confirmed that Bryan wasn't in there.

Sheamus walked over to the bathroom. He stepped inside and reached for the handle of the frosted-glass shower door, but before his fingers touched it it swung open, and something hard and wooden slammed into the side of his head. The Celtic Warrior went down like a sack of bricks, one of his flailing hands striking a bottle of lotion sitting on the counter and knocking it to the floor.

Out in the bedroom, Ted heard the thud of the bottle striking the tiled floor and went to investigate. He poked his head into the bathroom, and just as his eyes landed on Sheamus' still form sprawled across the floor something heavy appeared out of the corner of his eye and smashed into his side. He let out a yelp as he fell to his knees, holding his side. He was sure that at least two of his ribs were broken, and just as he opened his mouth to yell for Punk, the same thing that had hit him earlier struck him in the back of the head, and he slid to the floor, Punk's name dying on his lips.

Punk ran out of the kitchen and raced for the bathroom door. He had heard Ted's yelp of pain and was ready to kick whoever's ass had hurt him. He skidded through the bathroom doorway, catching sight of Ted and Sheamus' bodies lying side-by-side. His heart slammed against his rib cage when he noticed that they weren't moving, and his instincts screamed at him to turn around. So he did, but he was too late to stop the wooden bat from striking him in the knee. He let out a roar of agony and went down on his good knee. He looked up at Daniel Bryan, who was standing above him with a smirk on his lips and the bat held at the ready.

"Really, Punk," Daniel said, his tone mocking. "Did you honestly think that you could outsmart me? I'm too hard to catch, even for you."

Punk spat at him, and Daniel just laughed loudly. "Defiant to the end, aren't you?" he asked, shaking his head. "Fine, be that way."

Daniel hefted the bat, and the last thought that went through his head before the bat slammed into his skull was that AJ would worry about him when he didn't come back.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Over 100 reviews. That's all that I have to say. Keep on telling me what you think! :) Oh, and please don't kill me for this chapter! I can't finish the fic if you all decide to murder me. ;) Enjoy Chapter 12.**

**Look After You, Chapter 12**

Rough hands shook his body, and Punk opened his eyes. At first he thought that it was Daniel Bryan who was kneeling over him, so he lashed out with a fist. He felt it connect, and a howl of pain and anger split the air.

"Son of a bitch! Punk, what the fuck?" a very familiar, very pissed-off voice snarled from his left.

Punk sat up and blinked a couple of times, trying to focus on the person sprawled on the floor across from him. His head hurt like hell, and so did his knee. He shook his head gingerly a couple of times and his vision finally cleared up enough for him to recognize the man who sat before him, rubbing his jaw and scowling.

"Christ, I always knew you didn't like me much, but did you really have to hit me?" Randy complained, glaring viciously at the Straight-Edge Superstar.

"I didn't mean to," Punk protested, getting a little angry as well. "I thought you were–oh fuck!" Punk scrambled to his feet, swaying unsteadily on his injured knee, and looked frantically around the bathroom. "Where's Bryan? Where did he go?"

"We don't know," a different voice answered from the doorway. Punk whipped around and saw John Cena standing there. There was dried blood crusted on the Cenation leader's upper lip and around his nose, and a dark purple bruise was beginning to form on his chin. John looked like shit, which was what Punk had expected after seeing him take a punch from the Big Show.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Punk demanded, looking from John to Randy and back again. "Where else is the bastard going to go?"

"Don't ask me," Ted groaned, slowly sitting up from where he had been passed out by the sink. "I'm all out of brilliant ideas." He touched the back of his head where the bat had struck him and paled when his fingers came away wet with blood. "Jesus," he rasped, the room spinning. "Hey Randy...tell Cody that I'm sorry I didn't get Bryan for him...okay...?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Ted's eyes fluttered closed and he slid back to the floor, unconscious.

"_Ted!" _Randy shouted. The Viper crawled across the floor, halting when he reached his friend's side. He rolled Ted over and sucked in a breath when he saw the four-inch-long cut in the back of Ted's head. "Shit. Ted's hurt bad, we need to get him to a hospital," Randy said, looking frantically up at Punk and John.

John crossed the room in a few long strides and knelt beside Sheamus, who was passed out by the shower. He rolled the Celtic Warrior onto his back and let out a low whistle when he saw the damage that had been done to Sheamus' face. "By the looks of it, we need to get Sheamus to one too."

Punk barely seemed to hear them, however. His body froze, and his mind repeated something that Randy had said a few minutes earlier. "The hospital..." he breathed, his green eyes widening as the realization struck him. "The hospital!" he yelled, startling the other two men in the room.

"What?" Randy asked, sounding bewildered.

Punk turned his blazing green gaze on him, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Bryan's heading for the hospital," he snarled. "He's going after AJ again."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

AJ frowned at the Spider-Man comic she held in her hands, her head tilting to one side as she studied the colorfully-illustrated page. "Wait, so does Mary Jane know that Peter Parker's Spider-Man or what?"

"She suspects that he is, but she doesn't know for sure," Cody explained. He was leaning up against the headboard in his hospital bed, face buried in his own Spider-Man comic book. It was the latest issue; Randy and Ted had brought it for him when they came to visit earlier.

AJ, who had moved over to Cody's bed after the nurses had taken out her IV and was now lying by his feet, shook her head in disgust. "Honestly, I don't know why she's so attracted to Spider-Man in the first place," she said aloud. "He looks pretty geeky to me."

"This coming from the girl who likes her men tattooed and pierced," Cody teased lightly. He quickly ducked the comic book that came flying at his head, laughing loudly.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and both of them fell silent. AJ furrowed her brow at Cody, but then her face lit up. "Punk and the others must be back," she said excitedly. She scrambled off the bed and hurried to the door.

Cody frowned. This didn't seem right. He knew Punk, and he also knew Randy and Ted. None of them ever knocked, they just came barging right in. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he started to get out of the bed, at the same time saying, "AJ, just wait a second."

But AJ had already grabbed the doorknob, and she threw the door open without a second thought. "I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed.

Then the smile died on her lips and a little gasp escaped her throat when she saw who was standing in the doorway.

"Well, I'm happy you're so glad to see me," Daniel Bryan sneered.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews, and I'm glad none of you wanted to kill me for that cliff-hanger. :) Oh, and I have to apologize to XxRamyfanxX right off the bat. I'm so sorry for this, Mel. Please don't hurt me. :D Here's Chapter 13, I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Look After You, Chapter 13**

Zack Ryder walked through the hospital's sliding doors. He was wearing one of his T-shirts and a pair of jeans, and a bouquet of daisies was clutched in his right hand. He had bought them as soon as John had called him and told him that AJ was in the hospital. Daisies were AJ's favorite flower, so he figured that giving her some would cheer her up. She was his broski, which meant that he had to look out for her. After all, Zack took care of his broskis.

He approached the front desk and smiled at the pretty woman sitting behind the counter. "Excuse me..." He peered at the name tag pinned to the front of her shirt "...Mel. Could you tell me what room AJ Lee is staying in?"

Mel smiled brightly at him and spun her chair around to face her computer. "Of course I can." Her manicured fingers flew over the keyboard, and she furrowed her brow as she studied the screen. Then she smiled and spun back around to face him. "She's in room 209."

"Thank you very much," Zack said, grinning at her. He started to turn to go, but then he summoned up his courage and turned back to the counter. "Oh, and I have one more question."

"What is it?" Mel asked, looking up from the paperwork she was doing.

"Could I get your phone number?" Zack questioned, shooting her his cutest smile and a wink.

Mel smiled back at him, her eyes lighting up. "As a matter of fact, you can." She grabbed a piece of paper off of a stack and tore a corner off. Then she grabbed a pen and scribbled her number onto it. She handed it to him, and Zack took it and looked at it as if he'd just won the lottery.

"Awesome," he said. "I'll call you later."

"I'll be waiting," Mel responded, and Zack waved at her before heading for the elevators.

He grinned again as he was waiting for the elevator to arrive.

AJ was gonna be so surprised to see him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"No!" AJ cried, backing away from the door. Daniel Bryan smiled coldly at the fear in her voice, his blue eyes shining with malice.

"Really, AJ, did you think you could ever be rid of me?" he sneered, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. "Your little boyfriend CM Punk tried, but I smashed a wooden baseball bat into his skull and knocked that plan right out of his mind."

All of the air left AJ's body as he uttered that one sentence, and her mouth opened in a wordless scream of pain. She clutched her stomach, feeling like she was going to be sick. "Oh, god," she moaned, her eyes swelling with tears. "Punk. No."

"Yes," Daniel said, overhearing her. "Yes. Yes. Yes."

Cody, who Daniel hadn't seemed to notice when he first entered the room, suddenly thrust himself between AJ and her cruel ex-boyfriend. He glared at the smaller man, his ice-blue eyes burning with rage. "You stay away from her," Cody snarled, putting one arm out and pushing AJ further behind him. "Or I swear to God, I'll–"

"You'll what?" Daniel taunted, cutting Cody off. "You'll try and beat me up? Just like your loser best friend tried to do before I caved in his skull too?"

All of the blood left Cody's face, and his mouth contorted into a grimace of pain. "I'm going to kill you," he whispered, his voice shaking with barely-controlled fury. "I'm going to fucking kill you, you little midget."

Daniel laughed harshly, the sound echoing around the room. "In your condition? Rhodes, you couldn't even beat me when you were healthy."

"You wanna put that to the test?" Cody spat, curling his hands into fists.

"Nah, I think I'll save that for another day," Daniel replied sounding bored. "Now just hand over AJ, and this matter will be settled."

"Never," Cody hissed.

Daniel sighed. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."

He moved suddenly, flying at Cody, who lunged forward to meet him. The two of them crashed together and began throwing punches while AJ huddled in the corner, watching with wide, terrified eyes. Cody was so infuriated by Daniel hurting his best friend that he was actually winning, driving hit after hit into the smaller man's body. For a second, AJ actually began to think that Cody would manage to defeat Daniel, and she would be safe.

But then she saw Daniel reach behind him and grab the TV remote. AJ opened her mouth to warn Cody, but before she could get a word out Daniel brought the remote around and smashed it into Cody's face, right where his stitched wound was. The force of the blow reopened the wound, and blood poured down Cody's face into his eyes, blinding him. He stumbled back, and Daniel hit him with the remote again, sending him crashing to the floor. AJ stared at his motionless form in horror.

"Cody!" she screamed. She looked up when she heard dark laughter. Daniel tossed the bloody remote to the side and advanced on her, stepping over Cody's body.

"I thought he'd at least put up a better fight," he said. He smirked at her. "Come on AJ, let's go."

Just as he reached for her arm, the door crashed open, and Zack Ryder flew into the room. He ran full-speed at Daniel and tackled him to the floor. AJ, her mouth hanging open with shock, stared as the two of them rolled around on the floor, trading blows.

"You...bastard..." Zack growled between blows. "Keep...your...filthy...hands...off...of...AJ!"

As he went for another punch, however, Daniel bucked his hips, sending Zack tumbling over his head. He rolled over and speared the Long Island Iced-Z as he struggled to his knees, and they both crashed into the wall. Zack hit first, and his head whipped back and struck the stark white plaster hard. He groaned as he slid to the floor, his eyes fluttering shut. Blood ran in a steady flow down the back of his neck and soaked the collar of his shirt.

"Zack," AJ whimpered. She took a few steps toward him, but then Daniel materialized in front of her, bruised and battered but still standing.

His hand shot out and seized her thin wrist, and he twisted it hard while he smirked evilly at her.

"Who's gonna save you now?" he snarled.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So this is the last chapter, you guys. I know, I'm sad that it has to end too, but no worries. I think I'm gonna do a sequel. :) Keep the reviews comin', and let me know what you think the sequel should be about. I'd really appreciate it. :) Here's the conclusion for ya.**

**Look After You, Chapter 14**

Randy Orton slammed on the brakes in front of the hospital's entrance, jolting the car and making its tires screech on the pavement. As soon as the car was stopped, CM Punk threw the passenger door open and hit the sidewalk at a dead run. "Get Sheamus and Ted taken care of!" he yelled back over his shoulder to Randy and John Cena, who had jumped out of the car as well. "I'm gonna go find AJ!"

While Randy and John struggled to get the other two unconscious guys out of the car, Punk raced into the hospital and made a beeline for the front desk. A woman wearing a name tag that read 'Mel' sat at a computer behind it. She looked up in surprise when he skidded to a halt in front of the desk.

"What room is AJ Lee staying in?" Punk demanded, his green eyes boring twin holes in her with their intensity.

Mel quickly brought up the information she'd found for Zack Ryder earlier, blinking in bewilderment as she read it out loud. "She's in room 209. She must have a lot of friends, because one was just here earlier. I think his name was–"

Mel stopped talking when she looked up and realized that Punk was already gone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"No! Let me go!" AJ screamed, pulling against the tight grip that Daniel had on her wrist. "I'm not going with you!"

Daniel raised his other hand and smacked her hard across the face, causing her head to snap back. "Shut up," he said calmly, dragging her toward the door.

AJ tried to blink away the spots that had burst in front of her eyes when Daniel had hit her, and she felt rage fill her as she did so. How dare he hit her! She wasn't his girlfriend anymore, and she refused to be treated like his punching bag. Her brown eyes flitted to the limp bodies of Cody and Zack. And she sure as hell wasn't going to let this bastard hurt anymore of her friends.

Daniel didn't seem to notice the murderous glare she was directing at him. He reached for the door handle and pulled the door open, at the same time saying, "There's a car waiting out back. All we have to do is–"

He was cut off by a fist colliding with his face. Daniel fell back, and at the same time AJ ripped her arm free of his grasp and darted to the opposite side of the room, as far away from him as she could get. Then she looked at who had just stepped through the doorway, and she felt her heart lift.

"Punk," she whispered, tears filling her eyes at the sight of him. He was bruised and there was dried blood on the back of his head, but otherwise he was fine. Other than being insanely pissed-off, that is.

Punk's green eyes found her, a small form huddled in the corner, and he was filled with so much emotion that he felt as though he was going to be torn in two. Then he saw the hand-shaped mark on her cheek, and all of the other emotions faded away to be replaced with burning fury.

"Stay there, AJ," he ordered the petite brunette, and then he turned towards Daniel Bryan, who was busy picking himself up off the floor. There was already a bruise beginning to form under his left eye, and he glared at Punk as he stumbled to his feet.

"Doesn't feel too good to be on the receiving end of the hit, does it?" Punk snarled, stalking towards the smaller man. As he advanced towards Daniel, he noticed two other limp forms lying sprawled on the floor, and when he looked at them closely he realized that they were his two friends, Cody Rhodes and Zack Ryder. Zack was out cold by the wall and Cody was lying face-down on the floor in a spreading pool of his own blood.

Punk stopped dead, horror rising inside of him when he noticed that both Zack and Cody weren't moving. "What the fuck did you do?" he hissed at Daniel, who just smiled coldly back at him, his face devoid of any emotion.

"They were in my way, so I took them out," Daniel replied simply, a taunting note entering his voice. "What're you gonna do about, Punk?"

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do about it," Punk spat, refocusing his attention on the bearded man. "I'm gonna kill you."

Punk leaped at him suddenly, and Daniel barely had enough time to put his arms up and protect his head before the Straight-Edge Superstar was on him. Punk rained blow after vicious blow on Daniel, and the smaller man was being forced to retreat. He backed up until his back was pressed against the wall and he slid down to sit on the floor, with Punk still beating on him and snarling unintelligible words under his breath. It looked as though Punk was going to beat him to a pulp.

Then AJ saw Daniel reach for the bloody remote that he had used to bludgeon Cody with earlier. It was lying on the floor a few inches away, and Punk was so intent on hurting Daniel as much as possible that he didn't notice. But AJ did.

Just as Daniel's fingers brushed the remote, AJ's foot came down on his hand. He let out a harsh scream of pain as she twisted her heel, digging it into his skin, and she enjoyed hearing him suffer like she had for so long.

"I don't think so," she said to him, and then she bent down and picked up the remote. "Punk! Here."

She tossed Punk the remote, and he brought it sharply down on Daniel's head. The sound of plastic meeting skull echoed through the room, and Daniel's eyes went wide and then glazed over, and he went limp. Punk backed away from him, his chest heaving and sweat glistening on his forehead. The remote fell from his fingers and hit the floor with a thud.

Silence fell over them, and then AJ lunged forward and crashed into him. Punk wrapped his arms tightly around her as she sobbed into his chest, and he rocked her back and forth, crooning soothing words into her ear.

"Holy shit."

Punk looked up to see John and Randy standing in the open doorway, the nurse from the front desk, Mel, standing just behind them. Their eyes were wide as they swept over the carnage in the room, and when Randy's gaze fell on Cody's bloody form, he went as pale as the walls of the room.

"Cody?" he said, hurrying over to his friend. He knelt down beside him and shook him, getting more and more panicky as the seconds ticked by without Cody waking up. "Cody? _Cody!" _

Just when everyone was beginning to fear the worst, Cody's eyes flew open and settled on Randy's relieved face. "Randy? What the fuck happened?"

Randy took a deep, shaky breath and shook his head. "Cody, you dumbass. I thought you were dead."

"Do I look dead?" Cody demanded. He managed to sit up, and he frowned. "Why does my face feel so wet?" He raised a hand and ran it over the his face, and when he brought it away blood covered it. "Damn. That bastard reopened my wound, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but he's not going to be much of a problem to us anymore," Randy told him. "Punk saw to that."

Cody peered around Randy, and his ice-blue eyes widened when he spotted Daniel Bryan's motionless body. "Is he dead?"

"No, just unconscious." It was Mel who answered; she had crossed the room and now knelt by Daniel, her fingers pressed to the pulse in his neck.

"Damn," Cody muttered.

Mel shot him an amused look, but then her eyes went past him and landed on the other limp body that was lying by the wall. Her face filled with horror, and she sprang up and shoved past Randy and Cody.

"Zack?" she gasped, dropping to her knees beside Zack. She checked for his pulse and her face paled. "I can't find a pulse," she told the others. She immediately began CPR while the others watched in concern. AJ had her face buried in Punk's chest, unable to watch, and John was clutching the doorframe so hard that his knuckles had turned white.

"Come on Zack," Mel begged between chest compressions. "Don't do this. Don't leave us. Come on."

After about a minute of this, Zack still hadn't moved, and Mel sat back, tears streaming down her face as she was forced to accept the fact that Zack wasn't coming back. She closed her eyes and forced herself not scream. _What happened to you calling me later?_ she thought. _You can't call me if you're dead._

A weak squeeze on her hand caused Mel to open her eyes, and she gasped when she was met by a pair of alert blue orbs staring right at her.

"Hey, why are you crying?" Zack asked, his voice soft. He lifted one hand and brushed the tears off of her cheeks. "Who died?" he joked.

Mel stared at him for a couple of seconds, and then she grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him, the tears still running down her cheeks.

But these ones were tears of joy.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Your friends are going to be okay," Mel informed them. "All of them."

Randy, John, Punk and AJ all exchanged relieved looks. They had been sitting in the waiting room for nearly an hour, waiting anxiously to hear news of Ted, Sheamus, Cody and Zack. To know that they were all okay was the best feeling in the world.

"When can we see them?" Randy asked. He wanted to see for himself that Ted and Cody really were okay. Those two were the closest thing he had to a family, and he wanted to make sure that they were fine.

"You can see them right now," Mel told him with a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to Zack."

She walked off, and Punk stared after her with amusement gleaming in his green eyes. "Man, I never thought Zack would actually land a girl." When AJ didn't answer, he turned his head to look at her and was startled when he saw tears shimmering in her big brown eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She gazed up at him, fear and disbelief written across her face. "What if Daniel comes after me again?"

"AJ, he can't come after you. He's in jail right now being charged with eight counts of assault and one count of domestic violence. He isn't getting out in a long time."

AJ blinked at him, her eyes filling with something close to hope. "So...it's really over?"

Punk smiled down at her and brushed the tears off of her cheeks. "It really is."

He bent down and kissed her, and AJ wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. When they finally pulled apart, AJ rested her head on Punk's chest and closed her eyes.

"I love you, CM Punk," she whispered.

Punk felt a flood of affection wash over him, and he kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, AJ Lee. Now come on, let's go visit our friends."

As they stood up and walked down the hall leading to their friends' rooms hand-in-hand, AJ said, "Punk? Thank you for saving me."

Punk grinned down at her, eyes green eyes shining with love and happiness.

"Hey, I promised I'd look after you, didn't I?"

**THE END**


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